Mumsnet Talk

My dad has been raving about her so just ordered a couple of her books....The Island and The Thread.

Has anyone read her books?? If so did you love them, hate them or anything inbetween

She tends to take a bit of a bashing on here .

Personally I really enjoyed The Island but I then read The Return which I thought was utter toss! Haven't read The Thread so will be interested to hear what those who have thought of it.

Is The Return the Spanish civil war one? In which case I thought it was the best of the three. The Island was a bookclub one and interesting but not great writing.

CRAP

Read the Island and had no desire to read any of the others!

No thanks

Everyone was raving about The Island so I read it and thought it was really badly written, two-dimensional characters, just basically didn't like it at all. Would certainly not waste my money on any of her other books!

I haven't read it yet but I bought a copy of The Thread because it looked interesting from a historical aspect. It's sitting in my tbr pile. It doesn't look rubbish - I'd reserve that description for something really bad like FSOG or some other poorly written chick-lit novel.

I adored the island but haven't read any others. She really is slated on here and is only one notch up on Kate Mosse
I didn't find the writing bad at all. Would highly recommend it.

I liked The Island. The Return was ok (particular interest in that period of history due to family connections). The most recent one was rubbish. Building up characters, then wiling them out, and jumping around too much.

We read The Thread for book group and all enjoyed it. I liked her style of writing and felt I learned a lot about Greece post WW1. Not read any others yet.

I really liked The Island. The Thread was OK but didn't really enjoy The Return.

I enjoyed The Island as we had just been on holiday to Crete and taken a boat trip to Spinalonga, so it was very enjoyable to have a little history lesson on a beautiful part of the world in novel form.

Similarly, The Thread was fascinating from a historical perspective and I do love Greece. It depends what you are looking for. It is not great literature, just interesting historical fiction.

Not great literature, but I quite liked the Island and thought the real-life element to the story was interesting. Bizarrely, I was reading it on holiday with Victoria Hislop sitting across the pool from me (Mark Warner in Greece for anyone who's interested) looking very glamorous in a black swimsuit and huge black sunhat. She didn't mix or talk to anyone, but Ian was nice and friendly.

Didn't enjoy The Return at all, however. I'm weary of time-shift novels anyway; if you want a good novel about the Spanish civil war, better to go for CJ Sansom's Winter in Madrid.

Haven't bothered with The Thread.

Oh well, I bought them second hand from play.com so if they are crap no matter. Maybe my dad has no literacy taste

I also have Nicolas Gage's book Eleni to read...it was my late mums favourite book of all time, think it is about the Greek Civil war. Anyone read that?

Now, that's an enjoyable tidbit, highlandcoo. I'm glad Ian's nice and friendly - he always looks as if he would be. But how did he end up with someone that glamorous?

The one good thing about the Island, I thought, was its historical aspect - I'd never heard the story about the leper colony before so that was all new and interesting. But agree with bimble about the two-dimensional characters.

One virtues of her writing is that she really evokes the feel of the places she chooses to set her novels, so that is perhaps a plus?

Just reading The Island, about two thirds of the way through and really enjoying it. Haven't read any others of hers.

Hi BettySwollocks Eleni was one of my late mum's favourite books too. It is now sitting in my bookcase and I have read and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a long read but thoroughly worth the effort.

I really hate giving up on a book but I have had to with The Thread. Tried to get into it several times because I was interested in the historical side, but the writing is SOOOOOO pedestrian. This happened, and then this happened and they were sad, and a few years later this happened and they were also sad. Plod, plod, plod.

Probably didn't help that I read it straight after Nick Harkaway's Angelmaker which is pretty much the most dazzling piece of writing I've read this year.

Daz thats good to hear. Think I will read the Victoria Hislop first to get me in the mood and then will tackle Eleni. I really want to like it, would feel disloyal to my mum if I think it's cak

I recently read The Island after several recommendations. I really enjoyed it and was especially interested in the historical side of it. Not read any others of hers though.

I loved the Island - the Return was ok haven't read the other.

I really liked The Island a lot, so bought The Thread. Omg sOooooooooo boring. Like the longest dullest history lesson in the world.

Hully is spot on.

I read The Island for my book club. We were unanimous for once, agreeing that it was, basically, crap.

If her name wasn't "Hislop", there is no way that book would be published, let alone applauded. Her publisher must owe a big favor to her husband, is all I can say.